When the Whistle Blows ~ Fran Cannon Slayton

This is the perfect book to read now that Halloween is fast approaching. Trains are an integral part of this book which is another plus for me, because I come from a train family, too. My grandfather was a brakeman and a conductor and his brother’s were all crossing tenders and brakemen. My father has [...]

Read Full Post »

This Just In

Here are a couple of new books that just came in for me:
Invisible Mountain ~ Carolina de Robertis
From the verdant hills of Rio de Janeiro to Evita Perón’s glittering Buenos Aires, from the haven of a corner butcher shop to the halls of the United States Embassy in Montevideo, this gripping novel—at once expansive and [...]

Read Full Post »

Sacred Hearts ~ Sarah Dunant

Sarah Dunant is one of my go to historical fiction authors just like Tracy Chevalier. It’s a genre that I enjoy, but haven’t spent much time exploring. I admit that I was skeptical about reading a book that takes place in a convent and it’s true that this book isn’t as lush as The Birth [...]

Read Full Post »

Epiphany

I had a little bit of an embarrassing moment on the bus today. See, I have a little problem with music. Sometimes it makes me cry, okay it often makes me cry. Not just because the song is sad. If the singing is beautiful it often moves me to tears no matter what the mood. [...]

Read Full Post »

Looking Forward to Reading

Handmade Home ~ Amanda Blake Soule
Filled with thirty-three projects made by reusing and repurposing materials, all of the items here offer a practical use in the home. From picnic blankets made out of repurposed bed sheets to curtains made out of vintage handkerchiefs, these projects express the sense of making something new out of something [...]

Read Full Post »

Oh Brothers – Daughter of the Forest & The Evolution of Calpernia Tate

This is an odd pairing, it’s true, but both books are coming of age stories with strong female characters who are surrounded by lots of brothers. Plus look at the covers. Sorcha and Calpurnia are almost in the same pose.
Daughter of the Forest ~ Juliet Marillier
Sorcha is the last of seven children and the only [...]

Read Full Post »

Serendipity ~ Milton, Dante & Oscar Wilde

Last week at work, I was filling some of our displays at the library and as usual I got a little sidetracked looking at the books. You’d think I’d be jaded by now, but no. I can’t remember what book I was looking at, but I remembered that Meljean Brook wrote the first in her [...]

Read Full Post »

The Art of Racing in the Rain ~ Garth Stein

I have to admit that I was avoiding this book. I saw it coming across the desk at the library with some frequency, but you know, it’s a dog book. They always get me. As a rule, I don’t cry when I read books. Movies, TV shows, commericials, yes. But not books. First book that [...]

Read Full Post »

Jeaniene Frost ~ Halfway to the Grave

This post is long overdue, as I read this book at the end of spring. I figured now was as good a time as any to review it, because Destined for an Early Grave comes out next week. I recently pre-ordered  it at my local bookstore and I’m starting to feel a little giddy. [...]

Read Full Post »

Fire ~ Kristin Cashore

East of the seven kingdoms, The Dells are inhabited by monsters that resemble common animals except they are extraordinarily colored and beautiful. They also control human minds. It is this ability that causes most people to fear Fire, the last human monster living in the Dells.
And that is all I’m going to say plot-wise, because [...]

Read Full Post »